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Global human rights organization, Open Society Foundations, announced Sunday it has donated $5 million in a matching grant to the Sundance Institute to help further the development of documentary films.
"My foundations have long supported arts and culture — especially film — as a means to build and strengthen open societies around the world," George Soros, founder and chairman of the Open Society Foundations, said in a statement. "This support will help bring open society issues to a wider audience."
The money will go to aid The Sundance Institute's Documentary Film Program, which the foundation launched in 1996. The year-round program provides grants to filmmakers, labs, and resources to help develop documentaries.
"Documentary films profoundly impact our culture; they challenge the traditional role of journalism by illuminating stories that inform, inspire and connect us as members of a global community, Sundance founder, Robert Redford, said in a statement. "The continued support from George Soros and the Open Society Foundations speaks to our shared belief in the value and power of documentary film."
— Vince Horiuchi